Episode 6: Paradox
by Your Power Is Limitless
Summary: Sometimes she hopes that this is just another layer in her nightmare state. That she'll wake up beside her, her clothes still reeking with the scent of chlorine the morning after. The last moment she could recall everything just feeling normal for a few moments. But Max Caulfield is here in school. And Chloe Price is pushing up daises. (Rating subject to change. More info inside.)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello wonderful fans of LiS and fellow Pricefield shippers! I bring you my own continuation of the game :D I hope you enjoy, I'm not very good at creating a sequel to finished work that I didn't create, but this idea has been nagging at me since I finished the game back in December. I've changed a few minor things to make it more interesting.**

 **WARNING: EPISODE 1-5 SPOILERS! This story will have references to all episodes, and will take place six months after the events of Episode 5. If you are not cool with spoilers, I suggest you mosey on back to your game and come back when you've finished playing :D**

 **Also, I saved Chloe in my playthrough. VIVA LA PRICEFIELD!**

 **...**

 _ **~Six months later**_

 _ **April 7th, 2014**_

 ** _Blackwell Academy, Arcadia Bay...~_**

So. Everything was normal. _Back_ to normal more like. As it has been for six months now. No one what remembers what she does, can do, did. No one is even aware of her thoughts.

Sometimes, she hopes that this is just another layer in her nightmare state. That she'll wake up beside _her_ , her clothes still reeking with the scent of chlorine the morning after. Though, that's not where she had been when she saw her last but it was the last peaceful moment she could recall. The last moment she could recall everything just feeling normal for a few moments.

But Max Caulfield is here in school.

And Chloe Price is pushing up daisies.

Max lolled her head to the side, her alarm going off. Seven fifteen a.m. She turned over and grabbed her phone, sliding the 'x' across the screen to shut it off. Her mind was still hazy, though she couldn't tell the difference between being hazy and lucid anymore. Her friends could. Warren, Kate, Alyssa. Those were just a few examples. She appreciated their concern, but it couldn't bring back the one person she wanted.

 _~Flashback_

 _October 10th, 2013~_

 _"Max!"_

 _Max picked her eyes up from the grass before lifting her head and turning to look behind her. Warren was running up to her, his hand in the air to make sure he caught her attention. She faced forward again and leaned back against the bench, listening as his footsteps got closer until they ceased beside her._

 _"Hey, Warren." she said, her voice still hoarse from crying._

 _"How are you doing?" Warren asked as she sat down. He'd noticed that Max was still in her funeral clothes._

 _"Better, I guess." Max said with a slight shrug._

 _"Look, Max, I am so sorry you witnessed what happened to that girl." Warren said, and Max thought of her name. "It's terrible." When Max didn't answer him, he continued with a question. "Did...did you know her?"_

 _The tears gathered in Max's eyes and her fingers tightened on her black dress. "In another reality..." she muttered. Because this Chloe she had to get to know. This Chloe she needed to learn about and get used to. She wasn't the girl Max grew up with, and she wasn't the girl she'd left behind. She knew her._

 _But not here._

 _"What do you mean?" Warren said._

 _"N-nothing..." Max said. She wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and sniffed. "I appreciate you caring, Warren, but please...I just...I..." She clenched her teeth to keep from screaming, but Warren understood._

 _"Right, uh, you-you want to be alone." Warren said and stood up. "I'll see you later, right?"_

 _"Yeah," Max said. "later."_

 _~End Flashback~_

She didn't see him later. Instead, she dragged herself away from the bench and to her dorm. She did all but tear the black dress from her body and throw it across the room. She felt a frustrated scream build in her, and she didn't bother to hold it back. Her room ended up being the one hit by a tornado that day and the mess stayed for a while.

It reminded her of her destruction on time, her toying around with the laws of space and time to save her best friend over and over again.

Her second alarm blared to life and she groaned, shutting it off and sitting up in her bed. Taunting sunlight gazed through her window and she grimaced, for the umpteenth time in six months actually hating to see the sunlight. It told her that she was going through another day racked with guilt and despair. She tried telling herself that she lost one person compared to a whole town full of people and that was a better outcome than none, but that voice in the back of her mind would tell her it wasn't the outcome she wanted.

 _If I could go back... If I could save her instead..._ she thought. _Would I?_

It was one thing to carry the weight of letting her best friend die on her shoulders, but it was a whole other thing to carry the destruction and loss of a whole town with her for the rest of her life. And it's not like anyone could understand. She was the only one who would ever remember, the only one who would never forget.

Was it bad that she wanted to?

Was it bad that she wanted to forget the conversations, the flirting, the late night swim? Was it bad that she wanted to forget the kisses they'd shared? Not because she didn't like it, but because she could sometimes still feel Chloe's lips against hers. That was the worst of it all, that Chloe would never know how she felt about her honestly.

Don't get her wrong, Warren was a nice guy. But he wasn't for Max. She had more history with Chloe than she did with Warren, and she can't deny that she'd had a bit of a crush on her when they were younger. Of course, as all inexperienced teens did, she thought it was just a phase that she would grow out of like all the others.

If she could look her thirteen year old self in the eyes now, she'd laugh.

She sighed and threw her legs over the side of her bed, standing up. She put her phone back on the table by her bed and walked to her mini-closet. She skimmed through what little clothes she had and made a mental note that she needed more. She grabbed a baby blue shirt, gray jeans, and Chloe's leather jacket that Joyce had given to her along with most of her other belongings when she died. She couldn't keep herself from wearing it almost all the time, but it was a halfassed replacement for Chloe's arms.

She picked up her kit of shower supplies and left her room to the showers.

"Max."

Her ears perked up at the sound of her name and she raised her eyes from the grass, finding the Kate was standing in the doorway of her room. She gave an effort to smile. "Hi, Kate."

Kate smiled back, almost hesistant. Gentle. "How are you?"

"I'm..." Max began, but stopped herself. How _was_ she? Considering that it was the six month anniversary of Chloe's death... "I'm fine."

"Are you going today?" Kate asked. The underlying tone in her voice told Max what she was really asking.

So she wasn't the only one aware. Max felt the tears swell in her eyes and her vision swam. Her fist tightened around the handle of her shower supplies. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat and gave a short nod. It had become a habit of hers that, whenever she took the trip, she would go before her classes started.

"I could...go with you. If you'd like." Kate offered. "For support."

 _Such a kind heart._ Max thought. She found it hard to believe that this was the same girl who almost commited suicide in another life. "Thank you, Kate." she said softly. "I'll let you know."

Kate nodded and smiled. "Okay. I'll see you in class."

"Yeah." Max said, and continued on her journey to the showers.

 ** _~Later...~_**

 _Okay, Max. You...you can do this..._

She took a deep breath in and her hands tightened on the hem of her shirt. Her gaze was turned out the window, staring past her reflection.

"Max?"

She turned her attention to Kate, who was seated in the driver's seat of the truck. When Chloe had passed, Joyce gave Max the keys to her truck. Max got her license a few weeks later but could never bring herself to drive the truck to the cemetery. It never felt right for her to do that. All the memories they shared in this truck... It was bad enough she had them tailing her whenever she sat in the driver seat. She couldn't handle those memories tailing her at the same time she was driving to see her best friend's grave.

Kate took a hand from the steering wheel and placed it on top of Max's, smiling softly and encouragingly. "Do you want me to stay here?"

Max blinked repeatedly. She didn't want to go to Chloe's grave alone, but she didn't want Kate there with her. This was a much deeper, much more personal level that she couldn't dare share with anyone. It would be too much.

"N-no, thank you." she finally managed. Her hand found the handle of the door and she opened it. "I won't take long."

"Take as much time as you need." Kate said.

Max gave a nod and got out of the truck, shutting the door behind her. She took careful steps toward the opened gate of the cemetery, the words **ARCADIA BAY CEMETERY** practically jumping out at her the closer she got. When she crossed the threshold of the cemetery the atmosphere felt as if it shifted and she shuddered. She pulled Chloe's jacket tighter around her and kept walking, her gaze to the ground.

 _"Hey, there you go! Rachel left a bunch of her clothes with me. She's your size."_

 _"But not quite my style."_

Max reached the section where Chloe and her father remained, ironically called "Memory Lane." Any other time, Max would've found that amusing. But when it referred to Chloe she couldn't even crack a smile.

 _"Max, you don't have a style yet. At least give it a try. You can always rewind back to your chlorine brand T-shirt and generic jeans."_

Her footsteps become heavier when she could pick out the top of Chloe and William's headstone. The jacket weighed a thousand pounds on her shoulders and her feet could barely lift off the ground. It was as if gravity was changing drastically.

 _"You suck! I like my shirt and jeans. But... it would be cool to try on Rachel's clothes, just to see if they fit."_

She finally came to stop in front of the grave and her chest felt empty. Slowly, she knelt down in the grass and sucked in a breath. "H-hey, Chloe..."

 _"Stop second-guessing yourself, Max! Put this on and let your inner punk-rock girl come out!"_

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Max said. Her eyes started to sting. "I'm sorry for... for not coming last week... I..."

 _"You can afford to take chances! Whatever and whenever you want to try! For example, I dare you to kiss me."_

 _"What?"_

"Joyce and David are doing well." Max said with a small. "Joyce was offered a contract to open another Two Whales in Portland. She, um, of course has to find someone to manage it so she can stay here, but..."

 _"I double dare you. Kiss me now."_

"David snagged a job on the police force. He completed his training a few days ago and he's out and about." Max continued, as if she were actually talking to Chloe. She felt a tear slip from the corner of her eyes.

 _"My powers... might not last, Chloe."_

 _"That's okay. We will. Forever."_

There was an ache swelling in her chest, resembling the sensation of a knife being repeatedly shoved harder and harder into her. "Nathan is back in school. Under house arrest, of course. His father let him serve six months before figuring out a way to get him out." Max gave a sad smile. "But he's a better person now, so I don't think anyone minds.

"Victoria's also changed her tune. She's still bitchy, but it's not as bad." Her fingers found the blades of grass beneath her and she tugged them up. "She's become a great friend."

 _"You make me feel like I know what I'm doing."_

 _"And you make me feel like I have a reason to stay in Arcadia Bay."_

"Kate started working part time at an animal shelter." Max foraged on. The ache in her chest deepened, hardened. "She feeds them, bathes them, and takes them for walks. I've never seen her so happy."

 _"Being here with you just feels like..."_

 _"Destiny?"_

"And... as for me, I guess..." Max wiped her eyes. "I'm at the top of my classes again. My teachers are praising me for my 'miraculous return.'" She laughed through a sob. "It's... It's been okay..."

As she finished her sentence, she looked up towards the sky in time to see a blue butterfly fluttering its way to her. She felt a stab of remembrance as she watched it land on Chloe's gravestone and twitch its wings.

 _"I will always love you. Now hurry up and go before I freak. And Max Caulfield? Don't you forget about me."_

 _"Never."_

Tear drops hit the ground from slitted eyes and a choked cry came from Max's chest. "Chloe... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..." Her hands turned into fists on the ground. "I should've saved you... I should've..." She sniffed. "I miss you so much... It hurts, Chloe..! It fucking hurts!"

The butterfly flew away and Max caught sight of it as it headed to the sky. Her hand sought out her pocket and reached inside, emerging with a Polaroid picture. It was crinkled at the sides from being in her pocket twenty four/seven. She turned it over in her hands and the colors of the gray bucket and butterfly came into focus. She stared at it intently through blurred vision.

 _"I'm so glad you're my partner in crime."_

 _"As long as you're my partner in time."_

But she was no one's partner now. She was lone wolf, private detective even. She had no one else that could ever take Chloe's place. No Captain to her First Mate, no 'hella' to her 'wowser'.

The edges of the picture started to distort and change color. A few tears dripped from Max's chin onto the picture and she lowered it from her gaze, losing her focus on it. She may have promised to go back and save her, but not until she knew how. And until then, she refused to use her powers for anything.

No one else should have to get hurt.

She stood up from the ground and ran the back of her hand across her cheeks. "I love you, Chloe." she said and her fingers tightened on the picture that was still distorted and discolored. "I'll come back for you one day... I promise."

She remained there for a few more minutes before deciding that it wasn't fair to Kate to make her late to class. She started the trek back to the truck, glancing back only once to see Chloe's grave. Pocketing the picture as she did so, she missed the clouds rolling in from the distance.

 _ **~Even later...~**_

"It's really coming down out there, isn't it Max?"

"Yeah. It is." Max replied shortly. The sound of the rain pattering on the windows practically echoed in the empty dorm hallway.

Warren nodded solemnly, his hands deep in his pockets. "How was your day?"

"Okay, I guess." Max said. "Like any other day."

"Did you... Did you go?" Warren asked.

"Y-yeah." Her voice cracked. She tried again. "Yeah."

She wasn't trying to be so short with him, and she wasn't trying to be rude. She'd be anything but that to Warren. However, that didn't change the fact that, on the six month anniversary of her best friend's death, she wanted to be left alone for the night. It just wasn't the time for social interaction.

The awkward silence held for a few lasting seconds before Warren spoke up again. "So, uh, the drive-in theater is having a Star Wars marathon tomorrow if you... If you want to go. We could get our Jedi on."

Max smiled softly, thankful for the offer. "I appreciate the invite, Warren, but I need time to think. I'll get back to you on that."

"Yeah, yeah. No problem." Warren nodded, understanding. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He opened his arms out to her and Max welcomed his embrace warmly.

"Thanks, Warren. I'll see you tomorrow." she said as they parted.

He smiled and turned on his heel, heading toward the exit of the girl's dorm. Max sighed when the door shut behind him and turned to the door of her room. She opened it and stepped inside, shutting it behind her and leaning against it. The darkness that had possessed her room had an eerie feel to it, caused by the density of the clouds. The window was washed with the downpour of rain and she could see the waves on her rug from the light outside.

She flipped the light switch on, making the shadow of the rain on her floor disappear, and took her messenger back from her shoulder, placing it on her couch. She took the picture from her pocket without a glance and set it on her nightstand. The hues were blended and the picture was warped almost beyond recognition.

Max sat on her bed and put her head in her hands. The rhythmic pattering of the rain went in sync with the beating of her heart, fast and heavy. She hadn't gotten over her trip to the cemetery. Normally, she would feel a bit better by this point but something was nagging at her. Maybe it was the timing, the date that stacked so much grief on her.

She kicked off her sneakers and grabbed her laptop from the edge of her bed, pulling her legs up and the laptop on her lap. _I could kill some time working on my English report._ she thought. _Distract myself for a couple hours._

Sure enough, way more than a couple hours passed and Max yawned. She glanced at the time and it read nine thirty-seven. _Holy shit._ she thought. _How the hell did I manage that?_

As if answering her question, she closed the YouTube tab on her laptop and shut it softly. She leaned over and set it on her dresser before standing up and starting to undress. She took off her shirt first and a flash of lightning, followed by a roaring sound of thunder, caused her to jump as she pulled it over her head.

 _I don't think the rain has been this heavy since..._ she didn't allow herself to finish that thought.

She grabbed her pajamas from a drawer and put them on. She shut the light off in her room, plunging her in a nightmarish darkness. She felt a twinge in her heart as she made her way to her bed and climbed under the covers, pulling them up over her head and closing her eyes.

 _ **~The next morning...~**_

 _She was hiding. Hiding from what, she did not know. But she was crouched underneath a desk with her hand over her mouth and clutching a flashlight to her chest. If she leaned down far enough, she could see a pair of feet making their way around the room._

 _"Max..."_

 _She held her breath and her grip tightened on the flashlight._

 _"Oh, Maaax, come out, come out wherever you are..."_

 _There was a loud crash and Max jumped slightly. She bit down on her tongue to keep in a scream and the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth. She risked a look and leaned down, seeing that a cabinet was knocked over. The pair of feet stood before it, shifting uneasily._

 _"Come on, Max." the voice was rough, deeper than any one she'd heard before. "Show yourself!"_

 _There was another crash and Max gave a quiet yelp of surprise. The pacing stopped, but there was an odd tapping going on in the background. She heard footsteps but she couldn't tell if they were getting closer or farther._

 _That's when the desk she was hiding under was thrown aside, revealing her. She scrambled back and her back hit the wall. When she looked up, she felt her heart stop._

 _"There you are, Maxine." Jefferson said, a menacing grin on his face. He bent down and grabbed her by her elbow, yanking her up. "We've got work to do."_

 _Max thrashed and tried to pull away from him. "No! Let me go!"_

Tap tap tap.

 _"Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it." Jefferson said._

"NO!"

Max shot straight up in her bed and her pillows fell to floor, along with Captain. She could hear her heart pounding in her ears and her breathing was erratic. Her head was aching fiercely and she felt something wet under her nose. She reached up slowly with a shaky hand and pressed a finger to her lip. When she moved her hand back, her fingers were stained red.

"Oh, fuck!" she exclaimed and tossed the covers aside. She got up from her bed faster than she should've and the room swam. She narrowed her eyes as she grabbed the box of tissues off her desk and took a few, holding them under her nose.

 _What the fuck? I haven't used my powers..._ Max thought.

Knock knock knock.

Max looked at her door like a deer caught in headlights. The knocking was frantic and hard. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was five twenty in the morning. She should've realized how early it was when she didn't see sunlight coming through the window. But who would be knocking this early?

The knocking came again and Max went to the door. She opened it, saying "Is there something wr-"

And who she saw standing there made her blood run cold and the tissue drop from her hand.

"Hey, Mad Max."

 _ **~To be continued...~**_

 **I hope you guys enjoyed! I'm not quite sure where I'm gonna go with this story, but I'm sure of how I want to end it. Getting there is the problem. Writing a time paradox story is a very tricky task so I have no doubt that it'll take a while to update.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! I really can't wait for you guys to see what I have in store for this story.**

 **...**

 _"Hey, Mad Max."_

"Chloe?!" Max cried. She let go of the door handle and backed away, eyes wide.

"Max, wait, before you freak," Chloe said as she walked in and shut the door behind her. "we obviously need to talk about this."

"No shit!" Max said. Her hand went to her chest to make sure that her heart was still beating, put two fingers to her neck to make sure she still had a pulse.

"You're still alive, Einstein." Chloe said.

"But... But you..." Max stuttered. "This isn't real... You're not-not real... Someone's fucking with me..." Her eyes began to water. "I swear to God, Nathan... Victoria... whoever you are or whoever put you up to this, this shit isn't funny!"

"Max, chill the fuck out for a second!" Chloe said. "I don't think you have the right to panic right now!"

"You're supposed to be dead..." Max said.

Chloe marched up to her and grabbed her hand. Max jumped back automatically, but Chloe held fast. Her expression melted from frustration to sad determination. "Do I feel dead to you?" she said softly. "Do I look it at all?"

Max tried to pull away again but Chloe wasn't having it. She held tighter until Max ceased and took a second to take in everything. Warm skin, slightly flushed cheeks, pale blue eyes with matching hair and... and...

And no bullet hole.

Her white shirt was free of blood.

Max's tense body went slack and Chloe grabbed her before she hit the ground, holding her up on her knees. Max hung her head and the tears began to flow. "I'm crazy... I-I've lost my mind..."

"Max, please..." Chloe said. "Pull yourself together for two seconds, okay?"

"I'm back in a nightmare..." Max went on, ignoring Chloe's pleading. "I'm gonna wake up any minute... Please, please wake up..."

"Max." Chloe said again, her voice a gentle but strong demand. She placed a finger under Max's chin and lifted up her head to stare at her.

"Chloe..." Max said, and her heart kicked up. "H-how...?"

"I don't know." Chloe said. She slowly backed away from Max and stood up, leaving Max on her knees. "I don't know. I...I remember... I remember being dead." She gave a small smile. "Remembering death...strange..."

Max stood up on shaky legs. "You remember?"

"Yeah. I can even still feel where the bullet struck." Chloe placed a hand on her stomach. "But..." She looked up at Max. "What's today?"

"April eighth." Max said. "Twenty fourteen."

"S-six months?" Chloe said. "I've been dead for six months?"

Max bit her lip and nodded once. "What happened? When you..." She didn't know how to finish the question, but Chloe understood immediately.

"I woke up," Chloe said. "in my bed. Everything was different, but...but the same. I sat up and I felt around, trying to figure out what was going on..."

"And then?" Max said.

"And-and then Joyce knocked on the door and poked her head in..." Chloe sucked in a heavy breath. "She told me she was off to work, and that she loved me. It was hella off, Max. She was smiling, but her eyes...her eyes were so..." She looked at Max helplessly. "I could see so much pain in them, as if she'd been crying and mourning."

Max started to say something, but words failed her and her mouth snapped shut again. Instead, she reached out slowly toward Chloe's hands and took them in hers. She stared down at them and took in the moment, running her thumbs over the back of Chloe's hands and remembering the last time she'd touched her. Her eyes began to water.

"Oh, Chloe..." she murmured, her voice strained as she started sobbing once more.

She felt Chloe's arm slip around her and pull her close. She buried her face in Chloe's neck and let it all out. She took her hand from Chloe's and grabbed onto her shirt, sliding her fingers against the dry material. She pressed against her stomach and felt it rise with her breaths. She could smell the faint fragrance of Chloe's cologne as it flowed through her being, electrifying places she thought to be long dead.

Chloe could sense Max's willpower draining and slowly eased them both to the floor on their knees. She placed her forehead on top of Max's head, waiting out her best friend's confusion and pain. She took a deep breath herself and closed her eyes. When Max's crying started to soften, and her breathing began to even out, she gently lifted her head and hunched down slightly to meet Max's gaze. Her turquoise eyes were shining with tears. He cheeks stained from tears and blood rush, which made her freckles stand out more than usual. The slight pout of her lips transfixed Chloe's gaze and she felt her heart clench in her chest.

"Max." she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "What is going on?"

Max's gaze remained at a loss and she sniffed. "I don't... I don't know, Chloe. This is so... This is..."

"Impossible?" Chloe filled in. Her signature smirk started to show. "Confusing? Fucked up?"

Max laughed softly, the sound seeming so new to her. "Yeah, all of those things." She picked her head up to properly meet Chloe's eyes and placed a hand on her cheek. "I've missed you so much, Che..."

Chloe overlapped Max's hand with hers. "I can imagine. This is hella fucking surreal. I don't even know where we start to figure out what happened."

"I don't either, but..." Max's expression turned curious. "Wait, how did you get here without your truck?"

Chloe chuckled. "I might have hoofed it here."

"You walked?" Max said, taken back. "What the fuck, Chloe?"

"What? You think I was going to _call you_ and ask for a ride?" Chloe questioned. "I'm mean, but I'm not cruel."

Max started to argue but her mouth snapped shut at the realization that Chloe was right. Had she of found out that Chloe was alive over the phone, she probably would have called the cops and had them trace the call.

Or just break down crying right then and there.

Either way, it wouldn't of turned out well.

"Fair point. Did anyone see you besides Joyce?" Max asked.

"I don't think. so." Chloe bit her lip for a second. "But if my mom didn't notice anything was wrong, would anyone else?"

Max raked her brain for an answer, but she had tampered with time so much she wasn't sure she understand the rules anymore. She got to her feet, taking Chloe with her. "Well, there's only one way to find out."

"And what way is that?" Chloe said. The mischievous glint had returned to her eyes.

"Follow my lead." Max said.

"Lead the way, Batmax." Chloe said with a mock salute.

Mac smiled and there was a flutter in her chest. Reevaluating the situation, she realized that she'd probably handled this much too calmly compared to anyone else. Then again, when you have mad time powers and have been through multiple realities what was there left that could really take you by surprise?

And how many other people out there had to deal with this?

She cracked open her door and peaked out. The hallway was deserted. She opened the door the rest of the way and stepped out with Chloe close behind. Chloe closed the door softly. "What now?"

"Kate is usually up at this point to feed her rabbit and watch the sunrise." Max said. "I guess we go to her first."

"Wakes up to see the sunrise?" Chloe said, raising an eyebrow. "Does she realize how much valuable sleep she's losing?"

"Well, some people like to watch the sun come up. Like me." Max said.

"And I thought you couldn't become more of a hippie." Chloe teased.

Max rolled her eyes and crossed the hall to Kate's door. She hesitated for a second, worrying her lip over the possible outcome. She knew that if anything went wrong she could just rewind and tell Chloe it was a bad idea, but she wanted to keep her power especially limited until they were sure what was going on. One wrong move and Chloe could end up back in her grave.

A shudder passed down Max's back.

She raised her hand and knocked three times, taking a small step back as if she were ready to run. She backed into Chloe and jumped slightly. She wasn't expecting her to be so close. Chloe's hand slipped into hers and Max's heart skipped.

There was a click and the knob turned. Kate opened the door and relaxed instantly at the sight of Max. "Oh, good morning Max." She said before looking to Chloe.

In that moment, the strangest thing happened. Max watched Kate's features closely, there was no way she could've missed it or mistaken it for something else. Kate's eyes widened and the look of pure shock began to overcome her. Then she froze, as if time was fucking up again, and the same relaxed pursue she held when answering the door returned and she smiled. A gentle squeeze on Max's arm told her she wasn't the only one that noticed.

"Chloe, right?" Kate said.

"Y-yeah." Chloe said.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Kate asked them.

 _Shit, I didn't plan this far ahead..._ Max thought urgently. She knew her expression was distressed when Kate looked at her concerned.

"Max? Are you okay?" she said.

"Yeah, she's fine." Chloe spoke up suddenly. "But she's a little low on supplies. That time of the month, y'know? Just too embarrassed to ask if you got any pain meds."

"Oh, of course." Kate said. "One second."

She disappeared from the doorway and Max nudged Chloe with a smirk. "Quick thinking." she said. "'Time of the month?' Genius."

"What? It is a valid issue amongst the female population that's plaguing the world today." Chloe said with a smartass undertone. "There'd be no reason for her to question it."

"I don't know what's scarier. The fact that your back from the dead or that you managed to compile such a smart sentence." Max teased.

"Be hella terrified, Maxipad." Chloe winked at her and her face grew hot.

They heard shuffling from behind the door and Kate returned, holding out a bottle of Ibuprofen. "Here you go, Max. Feel free to keep it, I can get more."

"Thanks so much, Kate." Max said, adding a grateful smile to the mix. "I'll see you in class later."

"Yep. You two enjoy the rest of your morning." Kate said.

She closed the door and Max's tense shoulders went slack, her arms dropping at her sides. "What the fuck was that?" she said as they reentered Max's room. She collapsed on her bed and stared at the bottle in her hands.

"I don't know, but it was hella strange." Chloe said. "Did you notice how her eyes never really lost the sense of shock?"

"Yeah. It's like the reaction was just glazed over." Max said.

"Like my mom. She was smiling, but her eyes had so much pain in them." Chloe said.

"I think we need to start getting to the bottom of this immediately." Max said. She stood up and went to her mini closet.

"How are we supposed to do that when we don't know what the fuck we're looking for?" Chloe said.

"Simple." Max said as she took out a shirt and a pair of jeans. "We start with researching time paradoxes and go from there."

"Whatever you say, Max." Chloe said. "But where exactly are we supposed to do this super sleuthing?"

"The library, duh." Max said. She started changing out of her pajamas and into her choice of clothes for the day, all the while feeling Chloe's eyes burning holes through her.

Which made her think. What were they now? Now that Chloe was back (for God knew how long), what did that mean for their relationship? She recalled how she felt after returning from the Alternate Chloe's timeline, how when as soon as she saw her blue hair and pissed of face she wanted to kiss her again. That had almost been the case here. She was _back_ , she was _alive_. But going through this didn't feel like the proper time to bring up relationship statuses.

"Hey, my jacket." Chloe said.

"Hm?" Max hummed as she finished getting dressed.

Chloe walked over to the chair at Max's desk and picked up her jacket, holding it up to inspect. "You have my jacket. I was looking for this when I left. Guess I should've figured Joyce would give you my stuff."

Max turned around and caught the sad smile that Chloe wore. She swallowed a dry lump in her throat. "You can have it back if you..."

Her sentence fell short when Chloe lowered her arms and approached her and placed it around her shoulders. "Nah, I think you rock it better than I did. Your inner punk rock girl is finally starting to show."

Max smiled and properly put the jacket on. The weight of it differed since Chloe was there. Wearing her dead friend's clothes had been hard enough, but knowing she approved made it lighter.

Although, she felt as if would have Chloe approved the whole time.

"Ready to go?" Chloe said, breaking the moment much to Max's dismay. But they had a job to do, there was no time for daydreaming.

"Yeah, come on." Max said. Instinctively, she took Chloe's hand and they left her dorm in search of the library.

 **...**

 **I was going to include their time in the library in this chapter, but something's telling me that I should stop here. I'll start in the library in the next chapter.**

 **And if you feel like Max didn't handle the "unexpected surprise" realistically, you have to remember (as I state in the story) that she's been through so many alternate realities and tampered with time so much that almost nothing could knock her off guard.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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